THE official Chinese media have weighed into the HarperCollins row over Chris Patten's forthcoming book with a letter at the weekend in the state-run China Daily newspaper praising the Murdoch-owned publishing house. "I see the British publishing house to be a highly respectable one because of its courage to say no to the untruth uttered by an influential politician of its own country," says one of the letters to the editor.

The letter added: "I only know Chris Patten is not welcome in China, but never realised such a person could even be rebuffed in his own country." The writer does not mention HarperCollins by name, but refers to the decision by "a famous publishing house of England" not to publish the Patten book, "due to some of his distorted depictions in the book about historical facts".